The present invention relates to a display unit for displaying various articles such as papers, cards, gift wrap and other products which are typically displayed to consumers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display unit including a molded backboard with a channel and a snap-in retainer which is easily inserted directly into and removed from the channel of the backboard. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing such a molded backboard and a mold insert tool for use in forming the channel of the backboard.
Greeting cards, wrapping paper, magazines, brochures and other articles have been displayed by a wide variety of display racks. Many of the available display racks comprise a support apparatus and a series of retainers or compartments in which the displayed products rest. The retainers or compartments are either permanently attached to the support apparatus or attached to one another. One of the problems associated with display racks in which the retainers are permanently attached to the support apparatus is that the whole display rack must be replaced in the event that a single retainer is broken. Similarly, those display racks which have multiple retainers attached as a single unit often require that the entire unit be replaced when a single retainer is damaged. Even those display racks in which the retainers are reversibly joined to one another are inconvenient for the user because they require the user to disassemble and reassemble the display rack to replace a broken retainer.
Other types of display racks have retainers or compartments which can be individually attached to a support apparatus, such as a backboard. However, these display racks have the disadvantage that the retainers or compartments are attached to the support apparatus by inserting them at one of the side ends of the apparatus and sliding them into position on the apparatus. As is often the case, the side end may be adjacent to a wall or another display rack, making the side end inaccessible and requiring the entire display unit to be physically moved from its location to engage the new retainer.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a display unit for storing and displaying cards, magazines, and other flat articles. Also provided is a mold insert for use in molding articles having an undercut channel. Further, a method for producing molded articles having an undercut channel is provided.
A display unit for storing and displaying articles is provided which comprises a backboard having a front surface and a rear surface. The front surface has at least two walls joined by an undercut channel extending horizontally along at least some predetermined width of the display unit. The display unit also includes a retainer for maintaining articles in the display unit. The retainer comprises a bracket including first and second extensions such that the retainer may be directly inserted into the undercut channel. The display preferably is formed by vacuum forming a thermoplastic sheet of material such as a high impact polystyrene. The retainer preferably is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic material such as an acrylic.
The display unit further may include one or more integrally molded rear support brackets. Also, the display may also include integrally molded vertical channels.
In the display unit, the opening of the undercut channel is narrower in width than the back wall of said channel. In addition, the retainer preferably engages the molded backboard directly without the necessity of sliding the bracket into the molded backboard channel from one end of the channel.
A mold insert for forming an undercut channel in a molded article is also provided. The mold insert assume a triangular configuration during molding suitable for molding an undercut channel and then shifts to a release position upon withdrawal of the molded article. The mold insert preferably is from a unshaped first section, second, third and fourth hinged sections, and a fifth straight section. The the second hinged section is fixedly joined to said unshaped first section such as by tack welding. The third hinged section is fixedly attached to the second hinged section also such as by tack welding. The fourth hinged section is fixedly attached to the third hinged section and the four hinged section is fixedly attached to the fifth straight section, both by such means as tack welding. The fifth straight section is movably located with the channel of the unshaped first section when assembled. The second, third and fourth hinged sections each include first and second panels connected to each other by a hinge joint and hinge pin.
A method of vacuum forming a molded article having an undercut channel is also contemplated. In the method, a mold containing a mold insert is provided, wherein the mold insert assumes a triangular configuration during molding suitable for molding an undercut channel and wherein the mold insert shifts to a release position upon withdrawal of said molded article. A thermoplastic blank sheet is placed on the mold and the sheet is molded to form the molded article having an undercut channel. The molded article is removed from the mold, wherein during removal, the mold insert shifts into a release configuration, allowing the molded article to be released from the mold.
Preferably in practicing the method, the mold insert automatically returns to the molding position following removal of the molded article. Also, where the mold insert does not automatically return to the molding position upon removal of a molded article, preferably, the mold insert automatically returns to the molding position upon insertion of a thermoplastic blank sheet due to the weight of the sheet on the mold insert. Preferably, the mold insert is a hinged mold insert.
Preferably, this method is practiced to form the molded backboard of the invention which is suitable for displaying products.
According to an aspect of the invention, a display unit is provided for displaying articles. The display unit includes a backboard which defines a plurality of tiers or steps. Each of the steps of the backboard has a generally upright wall and a sloped wall extending at an angle downwardly and forwardly away from the upright wall. Also, an undercut or dovetail shaped channel is defined within the backboard, the channel extending generally horizontally between the upright wall and the sloped wall. To hold articles for display, the display unit further includes the retainer which is mountable to the backboard. The retainer includes a bottom wall and first and second extensions projecting from the bottom wall at a diverging angle to relative to each other. The first and second extensions are shaped to be received within the dovetail shaped channel so that the first and second extensions complementarily fit outwardly against opposite sides of the dovetail shaped channel to securely mount the retainer to the backboard.
In an embodiment, the bottom wall of the retainer seats against the sloped wall when the retainer is mounted to the backboard.
In an embodiment, the bottom wall and the sloped wall are each generally planar and meet in flush contact when the retainer is mounted to the backboard.
A width of the, dovetail shaped channel increases correspondingly with a depth of the channel. More particularly, the dovetail shaped channel has a mouth, an upper side and a lower side, the upper and lower sides extending from the mouth and diverging away from each other at an angle relative to each other. In an embodiment, the retainer can be mounted to the backboard by inserting the first and second extensions in a rearward direction through the mouth of the channel. This provides a snap fit of the retainer to the backboard from a frontward access. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the backboard and retainer are shaped so that the when the first extension is inserted rearwardly into the channel, the second extension is generally positioned against a lower edge of the mouth. Then, the second extension is movable through the mouth to seat against the lower side of the channel when the retainer is pivoted downwardly.
In an embodiment, the first extension contacts in against the upper side of the channel and the second extension contacts against the lower side of the channel when the retainer is mounted to the backboard.
In an embodiment, the retainer includes a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at an orientation such that the front wall is generally coplanar relative to the upright wall of a next lower step.
In an embodiment, the first extension is defined by a rearmost portion of the retainer terminating at a rear edge, and the second extension projects generally perpendicularly from an underside of the bottom wall at a distance from the rear edge.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.